Archive for April, 2012

The freedom of the six Bulgarian medics formerly jailed in Libya over the notorious Libyan HIV Trial has been granted in exchange for a nuclear power plant deal between French President Nicolas Sarcozy and Libyan strongman Muammar Gaddafi, a report says.

The deal was sealed in 2007, French magazine Les Inrocks states, citing secret documents it has allegedly obtained. The magazine has promised to reveal more details in its print edition on Wednesday.

Deputy Minister Ivo Marinov has argued that moving the Tourism Unit of the Ministry of Economy, Energy and Tourism to Plovdiv will boost specialized forms of tourism which are already well developed in the southern Bulgarian city.

Marinov told journalists Monday that the planned move matched the policy of developing and presenting Bulgaria as a tourist destination with an emphasis on cultural tourism.

During a visit to Plovdiv on Sunday,Prime Minister Boyko Borisov announced that the administration handling tourism and some institutions in charge of agriculture and railway transport would be moved to Plovdiv.

The International Labor Organization (ILO) has warned about a global unemployment rate of 202 million people in 2012.

The projected unemployment rate for 2012 constitutes an increase of 6 million people from 2011, according to the ILO’s World of Work Report 2012.

“Our preliminary figures for 2011 point to a total of 196 million of unemployed, with an increase of 6 million to 202 million in 2012, and an increase of 5 million to 207 million in 2013,” said Raymond Torres, Director of the ILO’s Institute for International Labor Studies, at a press conference in Geneva.

The latest Google shakeup, called the Penguin upgrade, has many online small business owners scratching their heads. The purpose, experts say, is to punish over-optimization, but what does the change really mean in practice and what specifically does it mean for your business. Don’t panic! We’ve rounded up some of the best resources on the Web to help you understand more.

Inside Penguin

From the horse’s mouth. Want to know what’s really behind the new changes at Google? Why not start with a post from Google’s Mat Cutts about what’s going on from the search engine’s perspective. Google Webmaster Central Blog

Overview of the latest upgrade. So, what is the latest Google update all about? What does it mean, why do you need to be concerned about it and what will it ultimately mean to you? Keep reading our roundup for a detailed look at the changes in store. Business2Community

Google Penalties

A look inside the change. What exactly is Google trying to do with it’s new upgrade? While some insist the search engine is simply enforcing rules it has had in place for many years, some say it is rewarding and punishing indiscriminately. Search Engine Watch

Optimization smoptimization! Here’s another look inside the penguin optimization and a better idea of exactly what Google intends to accomplish with it. In terms of making sure your Websites conform to the rules, we suggest a perusal of the basics. TechWorld

For Better or Worse

The proof is in the pudding. Google says it instigated its latest upgrade to improve its search, but what does the record show? Has Google search really improved and has your Website been fairly treated? Search Engine Land

Three percent of Webpages affected. Is your Website among them? The new Google algorithm is designed to punish the worst of the worst. Have small business Websites been punished in the process? Search Engine Rountable

Final Analysis

Not all it’s cracked up to be. Google claims it introduced its latest update in response to users who wanted a better overall search engine experience. The question is whether any feel Google has really delivered. WebProNews

Unnatural links? Have you received unnatural link notices for your Websites? If so you could be only weeks away from experiencing a significant downgrade from Google. Consultant Patrick Altoft explains the phenomena. Branded 3

Gaining Perspective

Another look at Google ranking basics. To better understand what Google is doing with its new upgrade, it’s helpful to again review how the search engine ranks content value in the first place. Video by Mat Cutts gives another briefing. WebProNews

Consider the alternatives. Though you certainly can’t ignore the planet’s biggest search engine, it’s also not the only game in town. Here are some other contenders to remember slowly making their impact felt in the world of search. Small Business Trends

The Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) will stage a protest against “the policy of robbing the people” pursued by center-right ruling party GERB on May 1, the International Workers’ Day, according to BSP leader Sergey Stanishev.

“We are not the only ones to feel angry. There are many people in Bulgaria who feel angry due to the state of the country, the way they live and the huge unemployment,” Stanishev said Monday in an interview for the Bulgarian National Radio (BNR).